Wanting Naruto
by Doesn'tThisUsernameOwn
Summary: He stared down at me, his eyes dark and unrelenting. "You want Naruto, right?" Stupid question. But I nodded anyways. "Then kiss me." Talk about being caught between a rock and a hard place. Sasuhina Narusaku slight Naruhina
1. Rock Me

**Chapter 1 – Rock Me**

Somebody once asked me a question that rang in my head constantly.

"_Would you rather tell a friend you love him and lose the friendship or forever keep your silence and suffer a lifetime of lies?"_

That question disturbed me. I couldn't answer it then. Even now, I was still pondering. Why couldn't there be a third option? Why did it always have to be a decision between two very difficult and life-altering choices?

And why was I still thinking about it?

"Richie told me about the serial killers that's loose in our neighborhood killing anyone named Howie. That's my name! THAT'S MY NAME!" Naruto cried, knocking me off the serious path that my thoughts had taken.

His girlfriend, Sakura, whacked the back of his head. "Thank you for proving to us all that you've seen _The Benchwarmers_."

I turned to her then, letting out a sigh. "For about a h-hundred times at least."

The narrow hallway boomed with his easy laughter as we headed for Naruto's apartment at it's end. We just watched _The Benchwarmers _(obviously) at my place, which was downstairs, and were sniggering over some of the funny parts in the film. Well, Naruto was. My tolerance for slapstick comedy tended to be a bit on the low side. He sauntered ahead of us and disappeared from view when he went through the door.

I was about to launch onto a discussion on guys having a shitty sense of humor when I heard Naruto call out to someone and the unmistakable slap of a high five. I glimpsed a long muscled leg from the outside screen door. The smile froze on my face.

Instinct screamed that he was here – the obnoxious brute who lived and breathed to see me suffer. I should have known. He hung out at Naruto's apartment so much, he already had a key.

I came to an abrupt stop, which caused Sakura to bump into my left side.

"What is it?"

I answered through gritted teeth, "N-Nothing."

_Right._

We entered the apartment, with me on the lead. I saw him sprawled out casually on the couch, playing with his phone. Behind me, Sakura voiced a soft "Oh". I forced my mouth to crack into a smile.

"Well, if it isn't Mr. Universe gracing us with his p-presence." I bit out. Curse my damn stutter. "Hello, Uchiha."

The description wasn't entirely off-base; Sasuke Uchiha looked like he stepped off the cover of _Seventeen_. He was tall – about 6'3, dark haired, broad-shouldered, had magnetic dark eyes and full lips that were shy of being feminine but seemed like they were intricately drawn by an artist.

Cute. Handsome even. It was no wonder that he was disturbingly popular with women. Though Sasuke had a sharp tongue, a string of girls were always panting after him. Must be the pearly whites. Whenever he smiled, he could charm any girl off her panties.

Or it could just be his money. The damn Hokage couldn't even come close to the wealth that his Fortune 500 family enjoyed. Let's just say they owned a better part of Kisaragi Village, and many other Land of Fire establishments.

It seemed like I was the only female alive who was immune to him.

He raised his head and stared at me a second more than necessary. I stiffened at the withering look. But his bristling manner didn't stop me from staring back with enough heat to melt an icicle. I hoped that on his end, it was an entire polar ice crap.

I was not going to lose my grip on my temper over a simple look from someone I didn't give a damn about.

Sasuke was primarily just a classmate of Naruto's but over time, he grew to be one of his closest friends; a bond that caused me to boycott several parties and functions just because I knew Sasuke would be there. Naruto and I had known each other since the academy days back in Konoha. Because he knew me inside-out, he often ignored my boycotting intentions and dragged me to said parties and functions. We all went to the same university here in Kisaragi but I had a different major from theirs. I majored in Psychology and they were Architecture students. Naruto introduced us three years ago when we were still freshman.

We hated each other.

I didn't trust his wolfish grin. He had an arrogance about him that irritated me to no end. Kind of shallow as a basis for all hostility, I know. But my initial impression of him didn't change over the years. I couldn't imagine him giving a glowering description of me either. Our verbal combat was a constant source of entertainment for our friends. It was truly a miracle we haven't clobbered each other to pieces yet.

"Always a pleasure running into you, Hyuga."

Maybe he wanted to project indifference but his clenched jaw was seriously contesting that. I smirked a bit.

"Hey, Sasuke." Sakura inclined her head in greeting, to which she earned a small smile.

I grew more uncomfortable with each passing second. The fact that Sasuke and I were mere inches from each other was enough to land me in a Psych evaluation to see the levels to my anger management. I hurriedly sat down on a nearby chair before I did anything drastic. I looked around to distract my fiery head. I suddenly spotted something that was definitely out of place in the usual clutter.

"So this is what Naruto-kun's been raving about. I th-thought it was a bit ridiculous to be so crazy about a TV."

I inspected it with mild envy since I didn't own a plasma. I could if I wanted, but calling my father for some change was not what I was about to do. I was independent now, me, myself and I.

"Yeah, it's his new pride and joy." Sakura said.

"We should've just watched movies here instead of my boring set at home."

Sakura shrugged. "You have _Netflix_."

"And you have more food!" Naruto shouted from his room. I laughed but my enthusiasm disappeared when I turned sideways and clashed into two questioning dark orbs.

_Why are you still hanging around them? You know you're just a nuisance. Why don't you leave them alone?_

_Because they ask me to be there. _I returned Sasuke's stare flatly. He shrugged and turned away, leaving me to my troubled mind.

Why _was _I hanging around them?

Naruto suddenly emerged from his room and erased all other thoughts from my head. It was remarking how he could overpower my senses just by the sight of him. He was lanky, shorter than Sasuke by two inches and his hair was a spikey, sun-bright blonde. He was cute in a boyish kind if way; his ocean blue eyes often shone with mischief, mouth regularly sported with a dazzling smile and he had a sense of humor which tended to be... yeah, slapstick.

Yes, I was in love with him. Joy.

I glanced at Sasuke and, to my irritation, he was looking at me with one eyebrow raised. Panic set in at the thought that he knew of my feelings for Naruto but I disregarded it a moment later. How could he know? I've never been the object of his curiosity and he knew was too self-centered to notice anything else.

I glared at him. He just smirked and turned to Naruto. I clenched my fist, slowly losing the war to contain my anger. I wasn't known for outburst and evilness, I was known as the calm, cool, collected and shy girl on campus.

"Hey Naruto, you up for a movie? I heard that new horror flick is on now."

"No thanks man, we just saw one. Besides, I don't feel like it right now." Naruto smiled at Sakura in such a sickeningly tender way that I almost felt sick myself.

I got up in one motion, making Sakura look up surprise. "I'll g-go for a walk."

"But we just got here. Where are you going?"

Sakura surreptitiously glanced at Sasuke before swinging her gaze back to me. I almost sighed at her quick and wrong assessment of my mood. But I left it alone. Better to have her thinking I was trying to get away from Sasuke instead of the raw truth.

"Just a walk." I mumbled.

Zipping up my white hoodie, I crossed the room as fast as my weathered Vans could take me. I got out of the flat, away from the pain and embraced the quiet of twilight.

* * *

Some life.

Okay, so I was luckier than most. Even though I only had one parent, I had a father who couldn't spend enough on his two daughters. He was a successful lawyer, owned his own law firm and reaped the benefits on frequent renovations of our house, vacations all over and giving in to my every whim.

That being the case, I fought tooth and nail to enroll in Kisa University, a college too far from my Konoha home, to gain independence. If I had any qualms about moving to Kisaragi, they were quickly squashed when I found out that KU was just 10 minutes away from the best night life district in all of the Land of Fire, which was in Kisaragi.

A grown and now _independent_ woman has got to party, right? Or at the very least, get insanely drunk when the pressures of school got under the skin.

It was different in Naruto's case – financially at least. He was alone most of his life, jumping from foster homes to foster homes until he was finally adopted by Tsunade, who had a bad gambling habit. She was great at everything once and was even groomed to be the next Hokage, but her gambling got the best of her and now Naruto was everything she had. Nobody here except me knew that though. While I was fortunate enough to take my pick on any university, he had to get a scholarship to get into KU. He could've taken the cheaper route and enrolled in a community college back home. But he didn't like the idea of us going our separate ways.

I think that's when my dementia started. I was stupid enough to think that maybe he was harboring secret feelings for me.

Naruto may be obtuse and downright stubborn but nobody could question his unswerving dedication and sense of commitment when he set his mind on something. If he wanted it, he eventually got it. He juggled odd jobs in high school to save up for college. He was quite adamant in living off campus after fulfilling the dorm life requirement in our first year. I even offered the spare room in my apartment so he could save a few dollars but he refused, saying he wanted to see if he could live on his own.

Frankly, I think he just didn't want me cramping his style. He used to be such a... _man whore_ before he got serious with Sakura. Well... that didn't change. But that's something I preferred not to think about.

It was bad to say out loud but the fact that he wasn't loaded worked in his advantage. He didn't experience moments where he had to ask if people only hung out with him because of his credit cards. Unlike me. I developed a wall, a barrier to having friends because of the paranoia that they only saw money signs when they saw me.

That's also one of the reasons why I wanted to get away from Konoha. No one knew what was in my wallet here.

I fished for a cigarette in my pocket and lit it. This was one of the many bad habits I got with my new sense of freedom and independence. I dragged in a mouthful of the poisonous smoke and walked down the calm park with the many thoughts roaming through my head. First, I fell in love with a guy after spending close to 10 years of my life being his best friend. Then, just when I felt some positive response from him, I introduced him to Sakura Haruno.

Yeah, I know, I'm probably the saddest person on this planet now. But me introducing the love of my life to the now love of _his _life is a story I don't want to get into. I'll probably fall into a deeper pit of depression. But to Sakura's credit, I don't think I'd be able to resist if I was Naruto as well. She was exactly his type. Pretty, nice body, great personality and very forgiving.

And that's the thing that mattered the most to Naruto.

Kami, I hated vacations. It was only during the long breaks that I allowed myself to think about my crappy situation.

I wasn't paying attention to where I was going until I saw my sneakers were already touching grass. I unconsciously sought out my favorite thinking place – the neighborhood playground. I plopped down on the bench, feeling that it was kinda cool through my denim shorts and took a last drag of my cigarette. I threw it away and reached into my pocket for another stick. I was having fun watching smoke curl in the air when I felt someone stop beside me.

"Bad day?"

I looked up to the all too familiar voice. Sasuke. I rolled my eyes. Another reason why vacations sucked.

"Later, Uchiha. I'm not in the m-mood for immature squabbling with you."

"Aww, but that stutter is so cute, I can't go a day without hearing it." He said in a mocking tone.

"Can't a person enjoy some peace?" To my consternation, he sat beside me.

"Of course. That's why I'm here. The flat was too hot." He said matter-of-factly.

"Why don't you just go h-home then? Or did the Department of Health finally zone that place out as a life risk?"

Ha. Describing Sasuke's grand mansion as a life risk was like saying I liked his company.

"They let me off on account of you housing roaches."

"Funny. Go h-home, Uchiha."

"And leave you alone for some poor guy to pick up? Hell no. I have to warn him about you."

"Go s-sit somewhere else, then."

I never learned. Snapping at him wasn't going to do me any good. But the acid rush coursing through my veins was begging to differ.

"As I recall, it's a free country. Stop being such a nuisance and relax."

He flashed a small smile that didn't quite reach his eyes. To demonstrate that he was indeed staying, he pulled out a pack of smokes and lit one. Great. I could only hope that he wasn't going to be here long enough to light a second stick.

I scowled at him and turned to face the quiet road. Maybe he'd go away if I ignored him.

"Anything new at the mall today? I might as well ask since you're always there."

Fate seemed determined to throw us into a conversation.

I heaved a long-suffering sigh. "No, I d-don't think so. The snobs you associate with weren't nursing their usual hangovers at the cafe."

"Perhaps," He started as his eyes followed the direction of a noisy cab when it passed by us. "But I wouldn't put much stock into your observation. I think trailing after a couple while holding a torch for one of them is depressing enough to notice anything else, isn't it?"

My whole body went rigid, his words sending shock waves inside me. But I schooled my face into a frown for spectator's benefit.

He stared back at me with mocking eyes.

"Don't even attempt to deny it."

"I have n-no idea what you're talking about," I answered tartly.

"It doesn't matter. I don't see a purpose of spreading your secret anyway. Kami knows I wouldn't have come after you if-" He stopped short. I looked at him curiously. If what?

My unanswered question was forgotten when he continued, "I was sent by the reason for those puffy eyes to ask you what's the matter."

Was there no end to my humiliation? I didn't think there was actually someone observant enough to notice that my eyes were often swollen from crying not lack of sleep.

I raised an eyebrow at him. "If you're p-planning to change your major to journalism, feel free. Just don't use me as a subject of a new story to get the scoop on."

His lips turned up into a caustic smile. "What? You think it's not obvious? It's so plain for everyone to see. I don't know how Naruto and Sakura didn't notice it." he said. "Well... one can hardly blame them I guess."

He cocked his head in a way that was doubly irritating because I knew he was just surveying the effect of his words. But I became stoic. No matter how hard he dug for whatever sad emotion he thought I may have been feeling, I wasn't stupid enough to let him see it.

"Uchiha, is there a p-point to this conversation? Yes, they're a nice couple to look at. So?" Saying the words almost strangled me.

"Not to you."

"Why would you th-think that?"

"Of course, why should I? Your fear of commitment and vow to never seriously fall in love in this lifetime should be some kind of warning for me." My confusion must have been evident on my face because he added, "Yes, I heard the rumors. You broke Kiba's heart. That's a good break up line though. I might use it sometime." His derisive chuckle pierced the air.

My mouth fell open in surprise. Kiba Inuzuka. He was one of the first friends I made here in Kisaragi and we grew pretty close that we decided to date. He's the captain of the soccer team and vice-president of the Supreme Student Council and deserved to be knocked off his high horse. The kind of guys that lure you in with good charm and great personality then turn out to be something else. I swear I spent more time swallowing hot air than food on our dates.

But... how did Sasuke know we dated?

Then I recalled that the senior class was already far too small for comfort, considering the droves that dropped out. Gossip wasn't hard to come by. Sasuke would've heard about it eventually, even if he had a different major.

"Yeah, b-because it's really possible to break someone's heart after dating them for just a month." I said sarcastically.

"Still, it must be hell to choke on your own words."

_Calm down. Don't rise to the bait. _I narrowed my eyes at him. He just smirked at me lazily.

"Why do you c-care?" I flicked my cigarette to the ground and stomped on it with more force than necessary. "What are you still doing here anyway? I'm fine so you can get on with your life now."

"Careful, Hyuga. Your claws are showing."

"If I maim you, it will be y-your fault, not mine."

"But that will just prove that I obviously hit a nerve."

I finally reached the end of the thread. I couldn't stop the words I kept secret from tumbling out of my mouth.

"F-Fine! I love Naruto Uzumaki! Happy n-now?"

_Hook, line and sinker_.

I cursed myself a moment later for my loss of restraint. A strange expression crossed Sasuke's face. For a second, I thought the sadness I felt were mirrored in his eyes. But I dismissed it when I remembered I was talking to an unfeeling ingrate.

He blew out a line of white smoke unhurriedly. "And the secret is out." He clapped his hands, mocking me with it's slowness. "But there's really no need to get all dramatic, Hyuga. I didn't ask you to call attention to the neighbors' dogs."

Bastard.

"No w-wonder you can't keep a girlfriend for more than two months. They couldn't stand the cold." I said scornfully.

His eyes became hooded. For some reason, he always took offense whenever I criticized his manwhorish ways. It was what usually jumpstarted our arguments. I didn't see the point of his irritation. It's not like I wasn't telling the truth.

"That didn't stop them from running after me."

"You arrogant son of a... You think you're so great. Well you've got another _thing_ coming for you, asshole!"

I got up and started to walk back to the flat. A strong hand suddenly gripped my elbow and tugged me back. I came crashing into a chest. My eyes met Sasuke's ominous ones. His mouth was set on a thin grim line.

"And what might that be?" he asked softly. But I heard a deadly note in it. I fought to shake out of his grasp. He held me even more tightly.

"You're n-not going to run out of girls, Uchiha, if that's what you're worried about. I'm afraid the types you pick are too d-dumb to look beyond the handsome exterior."

He laughed in response. "So you think I'm handsome."

I blushed hotly. I wanted to slap the arrogance out of his face. But his flaming eyes were the last point of light I saw when his lips crashed into mine. I resisted and pummeled his chest but he enveloped my hands with his easily and brought them around his neck.

To my horror, I felt an answering reaction to his deepening kiss. He must of felt me giving in because he brought me closer to his body. One of his hands went up to weave into my hair. My hands grabbed fistfuls of his.

We pulled away when a passerby whistled appreciatively. Our breaths were ragged as we gaped at each other. He looked surprised and well... shocked really. I felt exactly the same. Except...

Woah.

No wonder girls stuck to him like moths to a flame-

Derail the train of thought!

"Are you t-trying to channel some inner casanova? B-Because, I have to say, I'm h-hardly moved."

The sarcasm would have been biting if I wasn't panting so much and my stutter wasn't on 500.

He had the gall to grin. "Is that so? Why did you kiss me back then?"

I felt my face flushing. "I thought y-you'd learn a few things f-from me on the art. I hope you're not half in love with me by now."

I really should stop trying to sound venomous. It wasn't working!

He threw his head back and laughed. "Don't worry, Hyuga. Your kiss didn't inspire some sort of romantic feeling in me."

"What w-were you trying to prove?" I demanded.

He rolled his eyes and shook his head, telling me without words he was growing bored at the direction the conversation was heading. Well, what the hell? Did he really think he could get away with pulling a stunt like that without an explanation?

"I felt it was imperative to demonstrate rather than explain why my Saturday nights are booked until next year." he deadpanned. "Unlike some people here."

He did _not_ just say that.

"_Fuck_ you and your ego, Uchiha." I said, clearly taking him aback by my choice in words. "I'll leave you to indulge in your fantasies. Demonstrate your meager skills to some other helpless person." I said furiously and stomped away from him. Kami, I will never come back to this park!

I managed to put about five steps between us but his question stopped me in my tracks.

"If you like him so much, why don't you go after him?"

The nerve. Was he seriously asking me a personal question after practically mauling me in public?

With my back to him, I answered, "You're not e-entitled to an explanation."

"I know. I'm just wondering why you're wasting your time waiting when all you had to do was talk to the guy and he'd be yours."

I turned to face him. His expression was purely curious, as if he forgot that he kissed public enemy number one not a minute ago. He just screams bipolar.

"Wouldn't that be considered o-over share, Uchiha? We don't want to give the impression to anyone who might be listening that we're actually friends."

"You don't mean the trees, do you?" He sneered. "Just answer the question."

I stared at him, contemplating if I should give him more ammo than I already did. On one hand, he could change his mind and share my secret to the rest of the world. The guy was pretty influential in many social circles and wasn't above petty revenge schemes. On another hand, why would he even want to seek revenge? It's not like I did anything to him that was bad enough to warrant such behavior. Besides, the guy didn't have time to wage war against me beyond his panty-dropping schedule.

"Stop thinking, Hyuga. It's not that hard a question."

I rolled my eyes. "I thought th-that would've been obvious. He has a girlfriend."

"Like he didn't have girlfriends before? Your friendship is a lie. If he really is a friend, you wouldn't be lying to him."

His words reminded me of the question that I still didn't have an answer to. How ironic that he somehow made the choice for me without knowing it.

"I'm g-getting love advice from our resident Casanova. Is the world ending soon?"

"Given your inexperience, let's hope it doesn't end soon. For your sake."

"And who are you to talk to me about l-love? You change girls like clothes and treat sex like a requisite meal." I snorted. "Don't p-patronize me, Uchiha."

He eyed me with an unreadable expression on his face. "You want to know the real reason why I've never had a serious relationship?"

I was indeed curious. But I wasn't going to let on that I was.

"No, why would I want to?"

His mouth turned up into a mocking smile, as if he knew I was lying. I was about to verbally whip his egotistical ass but he beat me to the punch.

"I met someone... someone different. In an attempt to forget my feelings for her, I went out with a lot of woman. But no matter how I tried, I just couldn't shake her out of my head."

I gaped at him, reduced to silence. This was the side of Sasuke that I had never seen before. I was thrown that he was actually human enough to have feelings for a girl.

We endured a few minutes of uncomfortable silence.

"Well? Who i-is she?"

"You think I'm going to tell you?"

"What the point of t-telling me all that if you're not going to finish the damn conversation!"

It was almost comical, talking normally for a minute and then arguing again in the next one.

"Kami, Hinata, you do have a flare for drama," came Sasuke's stark reply.

I was surprised that he called me by my first name. We had always been Uchiha and Hyuga to each other for the longest time.

"It doesn't matter, _Uchiha_. I'll probably find out anyway. Your type of girls isn't exactly a secret."

"And what do you think is my type?" The words were slowly drawn out.

I thought of all his sexy and scantily-clad girlfriends who looked like they put more emphasis on their boobs than what was in their brains.

I arched an eyebrow. "You th-think all those bimbos you dated would give me an idea?"

"I'm surprised with you, Hyuga." he said in a taunting incredulous voice. "One would think with your superior intellect, you wouldn't stereotype."

"One would a-also think with your penchant for promiscuity, you wouldn't be this love-struck." I said. "Don't think for one m-minute that my personal opinion of you changed because of your confession. For all I know, you're just spinning me a story."

"For what? To get closer to you? I'd rather befriend a snake."

"Just g-goes to show how bad your taste is."

"And how would you describe yours? Your choice in guys leaves me breathless." He snorted in disgust. "By the way, good luck on your quest to get over Naruto. I still don't get it but it's your life and I don't really care. I know you're just waiting for them to break up but you're too much of a pussy to actually do anything about your feelings if they do split."

I flinched slightly at his words. He turned and walked away, leaving me to sort out my thoughts.

Pounce on my best friend when things didn't work out with Sakura? Hell no. I wouldn't do the pouncing. I'll make him do it.

On second thought...

Did I really want to risk our friendship for momentary bliss? I've never really thought about what our life would be like if we became a couple. My head was too occupied with the idea of him the whole time. It's a pity that the world didn't stop turning for broken hearts.

My thoughts swerved to Sasuke. So the playboys heart wasn't impenetrable after all. Oh, the irony. I laughed out loud and would have continued laughing until sundown if only the thought of our kiss didn't stop me.

Damn.

Things would really get awkward now everytime I saw him, which was nearly always. I could live with our numerous sparring sessions but sexual tension?

I was going to kill him.

* * *

**Author's Note:**

Chapter title – "Rock Me" by One Direction. (Don't judge me, I thought the song went with the chapter haha.)

Kisaragi Village is actually a village in Naruto. It's **NOT **made up, so I do **NOT **take credit for it! It's south of Konoha and was in the video game Naruto: Uzumaki Chronicles 2. I thought I should let them get out of the Konoha setting without actually taking them out of the Land of Fire all together.

Hope you enjoyed! Review please (:


	2. Don't Trust Me

**Chapter 2 – Don't Trust Me**

"_Okay, here it is, your choice... it's simple, her or me, and I'm sure she is really great. But Derek, I love you, in a really, really big pretend to like your taste in music, let you eat the last piece of cheesecake, hold a radio over my head outside your window, unfortunate way that makes me hate you, love you," _Meredith implored as she stared at Derek. _"So pick me. Choose me. Love me."_

I yelled at the woman, whose tears were threatening to spill out of her eyes. "Meredith, you are s-so pathetic! Why did you have to ask him like that? No way is he going to pick you now after that little dramatic Shakespeare scene!"

I was at Naruto's apartment, watching a rerun of one of the episodes of _Grey's Anatomy_ with the couple so sweet, they could induce bulimia – on my end at least. I already saw the entire second season but I liked going through certain episodes over and over again.

It went without saying that I was obsessed with the show. There was something about Meredith's angst over being in love with a taken man that just got to me.

Huh.

"Hina, you already saw this one." Naruto piped up. "You practically memorized the lines. Why do you even bother reacting to this crap?"

They lay sprawled on the couch adjacent to the one I was spread all over, looking bored. But his left hand was stroking Sakura's hair, letting the fine pink strands slide through his fingers as she leaned her head on his shoulder. I felt my insides clench.

Why am I reacting to this crap when I've seen them all over each other more than a hundred times?

"Hey, d-don't call it crap. That's my favorite show you're talking about."

"Whatever." He rolled his eyes. "I'm switching the channel."

He changed the channel despite my thrown pillows and yelling.

"Now this is what I'm talking about!" He hooted.

I groaned annoyingly when I saw the wildlife action on _National Geographic_. I knew the sole reason why he was watching it.

"Kami, can you be more immature? Switch the channel, you baka!" Sakura chimed in.

"Wait for it, wait for it... _there _it is!"

Naruto burst out laughing as we watched two hippos getting it on – the female didn't look like she was enjoying it as much as her counterpart.

I rolled my eyes as I stood up to go to the kitchen for a glass of water. I stopped in front of the mirror and scrutinized my reflection. Pearl-like eyes stared back at me. I hated them. My long, violet hair fell in waves halfway down by back because of my laziness to straighten it. I applied lip balm to my lips, which were often swollen and chapped because I had a nasty habit of biting them.

I was brushing lint off my tight white tank-top that was tucked into my dark high-waisted denim shorts when I glimpsed at Sakura through the mirror.

What did she have that I didn't?

I mentally compared our physical assets. She had a smile that could melt Naruto, eyes that were his undoing and hair that was always taken care of.

Okay, a lot.

Sakura turned to me suddenly and noticed that I was looking at her reflection. "You wanted something?"

My smile was automatic. "Nothing, Sakura. Just s-staring into space."

Oh, and she didn't have a stutter. Another plus for Miss Haruno.

"You hungry? Go grab a sandwich or something. It's in the fridge," Naruto said, his eyes still glued to the TV, which he thankfully switched to another channel.

"You d-don't mean that tuna sandwich that been festering there for a month, right?"

"No, I ate that yesterday."

"Ew!" Sakura and I cried at the same time.

He laughed and glanced up at me, his eyes twinkling. "Kidding. I restocked the kitchen yesterday. I went to the supermarket after work."

I stared at him. "What c-caused this sudden abandon of daily take-out? Kami knows the apartment would probably burn down before you did your own shoppi-"

I ran to the kitchen laughing before the thrown pillow could reach me.

I scanned the fridge's contents in an effort to distract my thoughts from the one thing that dominated my head for the last few days. I didn't have time to think about Naruto.

I was too busy mentally mutilating Sasuke.

Suspense had been killing me all afternoon ever since I stepped inside Naruto's place after avoiding it for almost a week because I was afraid of running into Sasuke again. I sighed. I might as well ask Naruto where he was so I'd know where not to go.

I opened cabinets and shook my head when I saw what was in them. Lots of cereal but no junk food. I came out of the kitchen a few minutes later, holding a chicken sandwich. "Hey Naru-chan, wh-where's Uchiha?"

I paused as he and Sakura sprang away from each other guiltily.

Perhaps I came out a tad too soon. Now I know what a fish felt like when it was gutted of its entrails.

The first time I caught them in a heated liplock, I threw up all over some person's manicured lawn. In front of them. The experience sure made the top of my list of most embarrassing moments. Granted, I had several shots of tequila at that party but I was still thinking straight. I guess the host was high on something at that time because he just waved off my profuse apologies. Explaining to Naruto why I got "drunk" after years of knowing how to hold my liquor was on a different planet of awkward though.

I acted as if I was smothering a laugh and sat back down on the couch I vacated earlier.

Naruto cleared his throat, a flush creeping on his face. Sakura browsed through one of the magazines lying on the table. She would've been believable if she wasn't concentrating too hard on a page. I took pity on her and turned back to Naruto. He had a lethal look in his eyes.

I lifted a eyebrow and grinned at him slyly. Automatically.

"I have no idea and don't call me Naru-chan."

"It's payback for c-calling me Hina all the time." I grinned. I called him Naru-chan when we were still little kids because I felt Naruto was too long and he had this girly smile. It stuck. He didn't like it because it made him sound feminine, but he knew I didn't like Hina and he still called me it.

He raised an eyebrow at me. "Hina will forever be your name. Anyway, what do you want with Sasuke?"

"N-Nothing. He's always around so I just wondered." I said, careful to keep my face neutral.

He narrowed his eyes at me. "You've never asked where he is before." Damn you, Naruto, for knowing me inside-out. "The last time I saw him was when I asked him to find out why you suddenly walked out of here a week ago."

I ground out his not-so-unfounded suspicions by sidestepping the issue. "I just w-went to my apartment to take a nap. Where did you think I went?"

It was a bald-faced lie but pretension was my thing.

"You said you were going out for a walk."

I shrugged. "So I changed my mind."

"Well, Sasuke stormed back in here after an hour and went out the door so quickly that we had no time to react. I had a feeling his mood had something to do with you. He just came to get his phone. He looked ready to kill," he said in a constricted voice.

"Wow, w-weird. I wonder what happened." I lied, knowing exactly what happened. "Well, I'm glad he's not here. Maybe he's off with the new girl of the week."

"Oh, I'm not too sure about that. Teme's not on the move these days." Naruto chuckled.

"Huh." I grabbed the remote and channel surfed. I was careful not to express further interest at talking about Sasuke. Aside from the fact that I was afraid of blurting out what happened between us, Naruto was irritating as hell whenever he was campaigning for us to be friends.

"Why don't the four of us go out sometime? Hey!" He said, a light bull going off on top of his head. "Why don't we go and watch that movie Sasuke told us about?"

And obvious too.

"Hey, why d-don't you throw in a candlelit dinner for us as well?" I exclaimed with false enthusiasm. Their excited faces dropped when I added coolly, "Not if I lived to be a hundred."

There was a few moments' pause.

"So you're going?"

"What? Do you want me to sp-spell it out for you? I'm not going." Nothing was on the TV. _Grey's Anatomy _was already replaced by some soap opera. Damn.

"But you said, 'not if I lived to be a hundred'." He imitated my tone and Sakura stifled a laugh. "Isn't that considered agreeing? You know you probably won't live to be a hundred. It's simply not possible with the average lifespan in this generation-"

"Yeah, so, I g-get your point, right? And I'm still not going, okay?" I snapped. Sakura's held in laughter rose to a giggle. I scowled at her. "Let's not argue over a figure of speech, Naru-chan. You know what I m-mean. Simply put, I don't want to go near that creep. I'd rather be boiled in oil."

"You know, all that fighting just makes me think you've got good chemistry because you affect each other so much," Sakura said.

They collapsed on the pillows behind them, laughing. I didn't bother retorting. For all my sense of humor, I didn't find the comment amusing. I did not find Sasuke amusing. I threw the remote at them.

"Seriously, Hina," His voice took on that grave tone that further annoyed me because he sounded a lot like my father when he wanted to beat some moral lesson into my head. "Couldn't you two work out some kind of peace deal? Both of you are my friends and it hurts me that you can't get along-"

As if on cue, Coldplay's "Paradise" blared from my phone. I pulled it out of my bag and answered it.

"Hello?"

"_Hey you doing anything? Wanna hang out?_" It was Ino "Ivy" Yamanaka, a close friend whom I hadn't seen since finals a month ago. She liked to go by 'Ivy' because she felt that it gave a dangerous vibe to her, because really, who would want to mess with poisoned ivy?

"Sure. Where?"

"_The usual in 15."_

"O-Okay." I got up from the couch and hoisted my bag to my shoulder. "Hey, I'm heading out. See you guys later." Carefully trying to ignore the topic from before.

"Where you going?" Naruto asked absently. He was back to channel surfing.

"I'm meeting _Ivy_." I still wasn't used to the name. Naruto rose his eyebrow at me before looking back to the TV screen. He knew better than to ask about Ino's identity adventures.

"Are you going to be back for dinner? We're having paella."

I forgot to mention that Sakura was also an up and coming amazing cook. I'm pretty good in the kitchen as well, the best actually and was way better than her. But she seemed determined to master the culinary art and now beat me by a lot, and anything she could do better than me made me hate the world even more so I conveniently 'forgot' to mention it. And paella was her specialty. Goddamit.

I looked back at her and said, "I d-do have some kind of life aside from hanging out with you two, you know?"

"Way to be so nice about it, Hina. I'm glad you like being with us so much." Naruto said, sarcasm laced in every word.

I laughed and ambled out the door. I stuck my head back in after a beat.

"Leave some for m-me, Sakura." Anybody who wasted the chance to eat good paella was a damn fool.

She smiled and nodded. I closed the door behind me.

I walked down the hallway of the third floor of the apartment complex leisurely. The whole place was painted in white and topped with a red-tiled roof. The flats formed a U-shape with a small lawn and garden in the center.

I descended two flights of steps and strode to the space where I parked my car. The set of wheels was a gift from my father when I turned eighteen – a white Audi Rs7. He gave me it as a present for all the many years I helped taking my late mother's place in the house and never asking for a thing in return. To say that it was fast was an understatement.

I lit a cigarette and sped out of the parking lot. I headed for Mojo, a quiet coffee shop located three blocks from the apartment.

Ivy, also a Psych undergrad, was actually the _first _friend I made in KU. The senior class knew her for throwing the wildest parties (the last one she had went for three days). Every time she was planning to throw a new one, word would get out fast and everybody would be ready to attend. She completely broke the whole Preacher's daughter image.

Yes, her parents were religion heads. Her father owned most of the temples here and around the Land of Fire and her family had a booming flower business going too. It went hand in hand, flowers and religion, I guess. But because of all of that, her parents were never home and she had a huge house to her disposal with an allowance coming in her mail every month.

In their eyes, she was the best daughter they could ever ask for. Came to every service, cooked for the family during events, was always praying. That was Ino. But the minute they leave on their flight, _Ivy_ comes in the picture and wreaks havoc.

Or that's how I think she pictured it all was, this new _Ivy _identity.

When I arrived, Ivy's red Corvette was already parked outside Mojo. I craned my neck and saw that she was bent over a coffee cup at a corner table. I got out of my car and hurried over to her.

"Tell me not to rent _Confessions _again at the video store." Ivy shook her head in disgust when I plopped down on the seat across hers.

"Don't rent _Confessions _a-again at the video store." I said, causing her to drink her coffee with a frown. "Is that the movie with the teacher who's daughter got killed by the students?"

"Yeah, it was so sick minded. Like are you serious? A teacher who puts her husbands HIV blood in her students tea's? Who the hell comes up with that shit?"

"What's the m-matter with you? And what are you doing watching gorey-plotted japanese films, which I know you absolutely hate?" I laughed.

"I was trying to gain faith in the genre since you're like, obsessed with them." She shook her pointer finger. "Never again. _Never_." She stirred her coffee with her spoon. "I even tried gaining faith in romantic comedies too, that's also a big no-no. They're just a waste of everyones time and money."

"Ivy, just because y-you're a bitter single woman, it doesn't mean the rest of the world has to be too."

"I'm not bitter. Just realistic. Not every woman has to find _the one _and only be with _the one_." She said with a disgusted look on her face. "Like you said, I'm a single woman. I have a right to sleep around. If guys can do it, so can I." We both laughed then.

"Anyways, let's change the subject. I want to forget about those damn movies." Ivy grimaced. "How are you? Don't tell me you're still lusting over Naruto."

"L-L-_Lusting_ over Naruto?" I asked, a blush making it to my face. "No, no, no. I'm so over the guy."

"Here we go again." She rolled her eyes and gathered her long, blonde hair into a high ponytail.

"He's obviously very h-happy with Sakura. You should've seen them at the apartment earlier. All sweet and cuddly." I frowned. "It was so c-cute."

I sounded convincing, even to myself. If only I could believe the crap that was spewing from my mouth.

All I got was a blank stare.

I deserved that.

"I'm n-not kidding!" I exclaimed.

Skeptical azure eyes met my announcement. "Of course, you aren't."

She fished out a cigarette from her new pack, turned it over and pushed it back in the container. I watched her dig up another and light it. It was a familiar ritual of a superstitious smoker. The first stick that jumped up was supposedly the wish stick. Weird habit for a cynic.

"And I was actually k-kidding those past times. I was never interested in him to begin with. Never!"

I slammed my fist down on the table, making the cups and saucers jump. But Ivy didn't give any indication that she noticed.

"You're right, Nata-chan. You are _absolutely _right. What's the big deal with Naruto, anyway? He's not that cute."

"Maybe n-not for you. But he's cute enough to attract me-"

"I rest my case."

Well, damn. Why did I even bother putting on a show for Ino – I mean Ivy? I guess I would feel less pathetic if I was the only one who knew how crazy I was over my best friend.

"Come on, d-don't bait me Ivy. You know this is a very sensitive subject-" I was cut off by her sudden laugh.

"Alright, alright. I won't do it again, I promise. Kami girl, where did your sense of humor run off packing?" She snuffed out her cigarette on the ashtray and then sat back to stare hard at me. "Look Nata, you have to forget about your 'Naru-chan'. I too, am tired of listening to this cheesy soap opera. Again let me reiterate, what's the big deal with Naruto? He's not the only guy in the world you know."

"Yeah, I kn-know." I muttered.

"And don't get pissed off about the cheesy soap opera part. I'm only being frank. Honestly, don't you get tired of pining over the guy when he only has eyes for-" she paused. She gave a dirty look. "_someone else."_

"Don't be a s-smartie. If you were in my place, what would you do?"

She crinkled her brows for a moment and a smile slowly crept up on her face.

"Well for starters, I'd chop off the rest of Sakura's old bubble gum looking hair. You know how vain she is about her fucking hair-"

"INO!"

"Okay! I'll stop because you obviously love the girlfriend _so much_, and don't call me Ino anymore. I already told you that."

"Alright _Ivy_, you've m-made your point." I said. "You can trash Sakura all you want. I don't care. Kami knows when you'll end your cold war with her. Just help me on how to g-get Naruto out of my head."

"Sorry girl, can't help you with that." She shrugged. "You have to want to get over him before you do."

"You think I d-don't want to?"

"I know you don't. See how romance is so overrated?"

"Yeah, I'll a-agree with you on that." I said, sighing as I took a sip from my coffee. "I saw Uchiha a f-few days ago. Still a jerk per usual."

Her eyes sparkled. I rolled mine. Ivy has been lusting after Sasuke since day one but knew better than to entangle herself with him. Best decision she ever made.

"Really? So how is he?"

"Didn't I just s-say he's still a jerk?"

"Oh c'mon. Give me more details! I haven't seen him around lately." Ivy said, her grin widening. "Is he still hot?"

And then she giggled.

I stared at her. I have never heard Ivy giggle.

"What's gotten into y-you? This is Sasuke we're talking about, for c-crying out loud."

She tilted her head to one side and lifted an eyebrow. "What did he ever do to you that caused this ridiculous hatred?"

"Other than the f-fact that he was born?" I asked wryly.

"Stuff it. He's hot and you know it."

My mind drifted to my last encounter with Sasuke and I promptly flushed. Ivy looked at me with a knowing expression on her face.

"Just admit it, Nata. Yes, I know Naruto is the love of her life but the truth is, Sasuke is way hotter than him."

"Wh-What?" I shook my head. "I object that. He's not even a g-good kisser!"

Oh my goodness, I did _not _just say that!

"What do you mean he's not..." She stared at me incredulously then burt out laughing. "Oh my Kami, you kissed him! You little devil! When did this happen?"

"It was j-just an accident. There isn't much to tell." I mumbled.

"How does one just _accidentally _fall on to someones lips?"

"Seriously, it didn't mean a-anything so can we just drop it now?"

"Then why are you blushing?"

"I think it's the w-warm weather. It's getting hot in here, isn't it?" I fanned myself to prove my useless point.

Ivy just continued laughing, shaking her head a bit. "Girl, there's a reason I never got involved with him. He's a little playboy. And you know what they say about guys like him."

I raised my eyebrow at her. "What?"

"Don't trust a hoe." She said, shaking her index finger. "Never trust a hoe."

I blushed immensely. "I'm not planning on s-s-sleeping with him! So I don't need to worry about _trusting_ him!"

"Woah, calm down tiger. So, tell me what happened."

I filled her in on the details about that disastrous confrontation with Sasuke. Listening to myself recount it sounded even more horrible, like it was a bad dream that just wouldn't quit.

Ivy pursed her lips and said, "He's right, you know. You _are _just waiting for Naruto to break up with Sakura."

"I'm actually having the t-time of my life wishing them the best for all eternity." I said sarcastically. "Of course I'm waiting for them to b-break up."

"Get over it."

I did not bother replying and just settled into the silence. I was still incensed that I actually admitted to someone else that I kissed that oaf. That no-good bastard better not show his face anytime soon or I'd really go insane.

"He's that good, huh?"

Her laughter got even louder when I broke her wish stick in half.

* * *

**Authors Note:**

I decided to make another chapter since I was immensely bored. Song of the chapter is _"Don't Trust Me_" by 3oh!3.

Thank you for those who have reviewed so far! I'm going to update this quicker since it seems you guys like it so far (:


	3. Mr Brightside

**Chapter 3 – Mr. Brightside**

"Why didn't you pre-register, Miss Hyuga? Being an incoming senior, you know very well we don't tolerate laziness in this university."

Professor Ai Fujiyama's severe face peered at me through her thick glasses as she signed my form. I winced.

It was the first day of enrollment for summer classes. Kisa University prided itself on being the biggest university in the region with a sports complex, an Olympic-sized pool, a huge quad where students are often found when the sun was out and various frat and sorority houses all over campus. But it was difficult to grab courses in the summer since most of the professors were on vacation. I've been scrambling from one end of the campus to the other since 8 a.m, pleading with teachers to allow one more lazy student in their classes.

"I'm sorry, ma'am. I'll b-be more mindful next time."

"And that stutter still won't make me go easier on you honey, it's not going to make me think you're an angel."

Wow, what a wonderful person.

Fujiyama was never one of my favorites. She always thought every student was playing mind games on her all the time to get an '_easier way out_'. You could just be going to the bathroom and by the way you're walking she'll assume you're testing her authority. I couldn't stand her. And she yet was the lecturer for most of my courses.

She had some type of personal vendetta against me since day one because in her heart, she believed that my stutter was a way to 'gain people's trust' and 'make people feel sorry for me', as she so gladly put it. My grades on her subjects almost got me kicked out of school until I wrote a 10 page thesis paper on social behavior that the Dean read that had him look over why my grades were the way they were. She almost got fired.

And now, she's my professor again.

How lovely.

I mumbled my gratitude when she finished signing and walked back to the main building where the Accounting office was located. I checked the time – 2:10. Finally! I could pay and be on my merry way.

The person I saw there, however, did not put me in the best of moods.

"What are y-you doing here?" Sasuke turned and when he saw me, his smile was replaced with a frown. I hadn't seen him since that fateful encounter.

"Why? Do you own the place?"

I opened my mouth to retaliate but thought better of it. My entire day would be ruined if we had a battle of wills here.

I stood behind him silently as he paid the cashier. But watching the woman smile at him winningly while he charmed her with his devastating smile made me lose control of my sharp tongue.

"What's the matter, Uchiha? Ran out of w-woman that you'd see if the accountant's any good?" I hissed. "Or d-do you want to establish connections to get a discount?"

"Just ask if you want a repeat of that kiss, Hyuga and I'll be happy to oblige. No need to be jealous." He chuckled.

"When hell freezes over." I said coolly.

"Hell was still burning last week," he said and walked away from the line.

Last word freak.

I gave my form to the accountant, still fuming over Sasuke's absolute conceit. Why was there a law against manslaughter?

"Miss? Miss!"

I heard the accountant's voice through the red haze of anger. I was so lost in thought, I didn't notice that she was already finished with my papers.

"Miss Hyuga, if you're quite done daydreaming, you can pay the amount due. I do not have the time nor the energy to tolerate inattentiveness." Her strict voice cut clearly across the lobby.

Tolerate. I've heard that word one too many times today.

I cringed in humiliation as I saw, through the mirror above the booth, some of the students crane their neck to get a better view of my idiocy. I was about to extend my apologies when a hand went around my shoulder from behind.

"I'm sorry, Miss Takahashi. Hinata is going through a rough time these days. Her aunt just passed away."

"Oh Mr. Uchiha, it's you again!" She said, her face suddenly smoothing into a sympathetic smile. "Thank you for clearing things up for me. Forgive me, Hinata dear, for being so crude. I'm sorry to hear about your aunt."

This was my chance.

I was about to put Sasuke on the spot and tell her that he was lying and show the world what a idiotic, conniving person he really was. But I felt his arm trying to crush my neck, showing me rather than telling me that he had the _upper hand_ in this. I forced my lips to crack into a smile.

"Thank y-you, Miss Takahashi. I'm sorry for being an inconvenience." I sounded so fake.

"Oh, don't you worry about it! I know the feeling of having death in the family. Heavens, it was a terrible time when my grandmother died."

She wiped non-existent tears from her eyes with her handkerchief. We ogled her, waiting to escape from the dramatic display as she told us the story of her grandmother.

"Good Lord, look at the time! Off you go now. The line is still very long." Her stern demeanor was back again but she smiled at us when we turned to go.

We trudged outside slowly to the parking lot and I was forced to utter a word the the person that I didn't think was possible to say it to.

"Thanks." I grumbled. To my relief, he didn't gloat over it.

"No problem."

"Why d-did you do that?" I asked, wary of his answer.

"Do what?"

"You backed me up."

"Maybe I got knocked over the head this morning." He shrugged.

I suddenly got angry. Maybe it was his way of apologizing for manhandling me a week ago but I still didn't like the feeling of being indebted to Sasuke.

"You could actually e-enjoy the only time you weren't being a total jerk, you know."

"If it makes you better, I relished seeing you squirm."

I swallowed an unexpected laugh. He too, looked like he was biting back a smile.

He gave a nod, inclining that he was leaving before he headed for his car. I shook my head, of course it was one of those way too expensive vehicles. I didn't even know what it was called because it was so expensive. It looked like it was worth all my organs. I got into my own car before I thought too much of his hand drove out of the school and headed home.

I heaved a sigh of relief when I opened the front door of my apartment. It looked cool and cozy to my tired eyes. I took my iPhone from my bag and hooked it up to the iHome. I scrolled through my music and selected one of them at random. "I'm Not The One" by 3Oh!3 boomed from the speakers as I passed through the kitchen for some much needed water before heading to my room.

I put my bag down on the ground and dropped gratefully onto the soft comfort of my bed. Resting my head on the fluffy pillows, I let the stress of the day ebb away from me.

I was well on my way to a deep sleep when the ring of my doorbell blasted me out of dreamland. I almost knocked over the night lamp in my haste to silence the irritating sound. I quickly made my way to my door and opened it.

"What's w-wrong, Sakura?" I said, letting the yawn escape from my mouth.

"Were you asleep? Sorry," she said softly. "I just heard the music and thought you were home and I really needed someone to talk to." That's when I noticed her pale face and puffy eyes. She's been crying.

"What happened?" I asked, opening the door wider to let her in. She came inside without hesitation as I turned off my music.

"Ask your best friend!" She yelled. I grimaced when she started sobbing then. I pushed a box of tissues into her hand. "He... th... the bastard... he.. ch..che..at. He doesn't des...erve my tears. I hate him!" She hiccuped. "I found him at our favorite cafe two hours ago talking to some gi.. girl. They were laughing and he held her hand. That baka, I knew I should've never trusted guys!" The sobbing started once more. I sighed.

Not again.

This wasn't news to me. Every month or so they got into a huge fight over some girl she saw Naruto with. I couldn't exactly tell her she was wrong because I knew she was telling the truth. I couldn't remember a time when Naruto didn't cheat on his girlfriends. I don't know where this love commitment issues came from, maybe it was all the years he felt abandoned himself. He acted like it couldn't be helped, like it was a disease he was suffering that caused him to cheat.

I cursed him silently. How many times have I told him to stop getting into relationships if he couldn't keep it in his pants? And what was the point in cheating anyways when you already have a girl willing to give you anything you desire?

Sighhh. Men.

"Maybe you m-misinterpreted the situation, Sakura. Maybe she was just a friend."

"A friend? Ha! She was too good looking to be his _friend_. And I saw the way he looked at her!"

"You d-don't know for sure though, she could've been-"

"Look, whose side are you on? Me or that... that _baka pig_?" She asked, glaring at me with tear-filled eyes. "Just tell me so I can wail in peace!"

"Sakura I've t-told you a thousand times, I'm not picking sides between the two of you." I said, biting my lip as I saw her wiping her tears as she sobbed. "Did you t-talk to him?"

"No. He saw me as I walked out of the cafe. He chased after me but I grabbed a cab before he could get near. I'm afraid I would have given in if he caught up to me." She sobbed even harder.

Kami, it was like a scene from a soap opera.

A sudden banging on the front door interrupted Sakura's wailing. I sighed, knowing who it was before I checked the peep hole. Sakura got up to run to my room. I opened the door.

"Is Sakura here?" Naruto slurred. I could smell the odor of alcohol on his breath.

"Yes."

"You've gotta let me talk to her." He looked ready to kneel in front of me. This was going to be difficult. I walked out of my apartment but didn't close the door all the way behind me.

"What is th-this I'm hearing about another girl again, Naru-chan?" I whispered, feeling my heart shatter a bit. I hated this feeling I got whenever I was put in this situation by them. I felt torn.

He stared at me imploringly. For once, he wasn't bothered by the nickname. "Please, Hinata, you've gotta help me. She was just a classmate and we got stuck together because she was waiting for someone. I was waiting for Sakura to show up so we got to talking and laughing and all that."

"You were holding her hand, though."

"Please Hina, help me! You're my best friend. I know you're going to get me out of this mess-"

I cut him off. "No Naruto, s-stop. You can't always do this to me. Sakura is my friend too and I don't like s-seeing her hurt let alone knowing I was secretly covering it up. Why can't you just stop with these other girls?"

"I know, Hina and I'm sorry. I'm so, so, so, sorry-"

"Hinata? Is he still there?" Sakura called from behind the semi-closed door. My eyes widened as I looked at the door than back to him. A tear started sliding down Naruto's cheek and that's when I felt my heart shatter completely. There it was again. That torn feeling that I knew was coming. Torn between choosing to do the right thing or to do the right thing for the one I loved. I bit my bottom lip.

"Okay, I'll h-help you this one last time Naruto. That's it."

Naruto's eyes lit up as he nodded his head to me. He straightened himself up and called out, "Sakura? Baby, please talk to me."

"Hinata, shut that door and don't let that bastard in!"

I shook my head and let said bastard in. Every time they had a fight, they almost always used my place for the setting. I didn't know why I put up with it. Naruto hurried to the living room. I went to the kitchen to fix myself a cup of coffee.

"What are you doing here? Didn't I tell you to go away? We're done!" Sakura's high voice reached the kitchen. I couldn't help eavesdropping.

"Sakura! That was Mizuki! She's my moms niece who's visiting from Konoha! Don't you trust me?" He always called Tsunade 'mom' whenever he wanted to look vulnerable and like a victim.

"No, I don't trust you."

"Are you fucking kidding me?!" Naruto shouted. The guy's got a lot of nerve to get angry.

"How can I? You've been cheating on me left and right and you always have a plausible excuse why you're with this girl or another-"

"Yes and I always tell you the truth. You're the only one I'm crazy about, Sakura."

Oh my goodness.

"There's always a friend or a family member, Naruto! I'm not going to believe you anymore!"

"H-He's not lying, Sakura," I said, feeling my heart break when I walked out the kitchen and saw Sakura stare at me. What if that was me in her position? "Mizuki really is Tsunade's niece. I m-met her once a few years ago."

"You're not lying for him, are you?" Sakura asked skeptically.

"Why sh-should I?" Why did I have to fall so hard for this guy when I knew he was wrong?

Sakura turned to Naruto and looked at him intently. He cowered beneath the watchful gaze.

"Good thing you have Hinata to save you, huh?"

I fought so hard to keep the guilty expression off my face.

"She's not saving me from anything." At this, he looked at me apologetically. "She's telling the truth."

"Uh-huh." Sakura still looked suspicious and her gaze switched back and forth between Naruto and me. "I just find it strange that you never mentioned anything about family visiting from Konoha, Naruto."

All of us fell silent. Damn, this was really going to hit the fan now.

Then Sakura suddenly smiled at me. "But if Hinata says she met her, then I'm going to have to believe you. Sorry I doubted you, hun. Forgive me?" She looked deeply into Naruto's eyes.

Like I said, forgiving women was something really important to Naruto.

If my heart didn't already break enough before, it was completely dissolved now.

"You know you're my one and only, baby. Of course I forgive you." I turned away as they started to 'kiss and make up' then. After a few minutes passed of them still making out, I started to grow uncomfortable. I cleared my throat and they flew away from each other.

"Hinata, I'm really sorry this had to happen at your apartment again," Sakura said.

"Don't w-worry about it, I'm used to it by now." I might as well been talking to the wall. They couple were making eyes at each other and I could've sworn I heard Sakura giggle. They turned to leave then and Naruto gave me a meaningful look before he closed the door behind him. I let out a sigh as I was about to walk to my room.

A sharp knock interrupted me from my slumber once again. I groaned as I got up and walked back to the door to see Naruto standing there again.

"Yes?" I asked.

"Were you sleeping before?"

"Yes, a-and I was planning to again before you knocked."

"I'm really sorry, Hinata." He said then, slamming his hands together and bowing his head. "I know you don't like being put in that position. But I'm really grateful for it, thanks for the rescue."

"Don't w-worry about it."

"I promise, Hina, this is the last time."

He raised his blue eyes to look at me. I couldn't believe I actually had deep feelings for this person. Perhaps I messed up in my past life so now my love life was cursed.

"You've s-said that before."

"I swear on my parents' graves this time it's for real," he said. I just nodded my head. He continued to stare at me. "For what it's worth, I think you're an amazing friend for putting up with my shit. I seriously don't know what I would do without you, Hina." He gave me a small smile.

"It's r-really not a big deal," I lied. "But you better g-get going, Sakura is waiting for you"

"Okay, see you later," he said, his famous boyish-like grin returning to his features. "You're going to Ino's party, right?"

"You m-mean Ivy?"

"Holy shit, is she suffering some type of identity crisis disorder?! Damn!" He said, shaking his head. "But yeah, you going to _Ivy's _party?"

I sighed. I forgot about the party Ivy was throwing tonight. She mentioned it when we hung out at the cafe but it completely slipped my mind. I really didn't feel like going after the drama I just witnessed.

"I'll th-think about it." I said. He nodded his head as he walked away. I closed the door and got back in bed when I reached my room.

I stared up at the ceiling and let the tears fall.

* * *

I sipped beer from the red cup I was holding and pretended to listen to people chatter about the latest gossip. It took every ounce of my energy to stifle a yawn. I couldn't believe I actually dragged myself to come to Ivy's party.

But then again, she did threaten to slash my tires if I didn't show up...

As usual, her party was on full mode. Music was blasting from the speakers and the people were either playing pool or rubbing against each other on the makeshift dance floor. The major players were here – vodka, tequila and beer. Over fifty people came to get wasted.

"Hey Hinata, why you so quiet?" Suzuki Nakahara, the queen for gossip was telling us the latest scoop and realized I wasn't listening.

"I'm just a l-little tired." I lied. She nodded her head and continued to tell the story. I tuned them out. This was the reason why I didn't like to hang with the other girls here regularly. Gossiping about people was not what I'd call a good time.

I got up from my chair and ran smack into Kiba. He looked surprised when he saw me then his face contorted. I remembered what Sasuke told me then and I bit my lip to fight back an apology.

"H-Hey." I said. He glared at me accusingly. Well, guess he hadn't gotten over the severe blow to his pride.

I cleared my throat. "How are you?"

"I'm okay. You?" He replied.

We both shifted uncomfortably. I could feel my friends staring at us.

"G-Great." I answered.

"You here by yourself?" The accusing glint in his eyes changed into a hopeful one. I cringed.

Before I could answer, I felt an arm loop around my shoulders.

"Hey Kiba, how's it going?"

I turned and my mouth hung open when I saw Sasuke standing there. I looked back at Kiba. His eyes traveled between Sasuke and me, his face stamped with fury.

"I'm good, man. Catch you later." He couldn't get away fast enough. We watched as he shoved through people and leave through the door.

"Does that answer your question on whether it's possible to break someones in a month?" Sasuke whispered in my ear. Despite the heat in the room, I shivered.

"You're mean."

I felt him chuckle beside me. He didn't relinquish his hold on my shoulder. At the corner of my eye, I saw the group of girls I was with stop their talking and stare at us. Great. I was going to be gossip fodder by morning.

"Did you w-wake up today and decide to rescue damsels in distress?" I asked, looking up at him.

"You're anything _but _a damsel." He grinned. "What was wrong with Kiba anyway?"

I smiled and evaded his question. "Are we actually having a conversation?"

"So it would seem. You look good, by the way."

His eyes lazily took in my grey long-sleeved crop top (that Ivy forced on me) and black skinny jeans. A wave of irritation overtook me. Something about this 'new side of Sasuke' was starting to feel sketchy now. The benevolence I felt toward him a few minutes ago vanished.

He suddenly lifted his gaze and his eyes darkened with amusement. "It was a compliment, Hyuga."

"Thanks," I said sarcastically. "I didn't s-see you get in."

I shrugged off his arm and walked towards the table a few feet away from us. I knew he was standing beside me again as I grabbed a shot of whatever. I felt the alcohol burn my throat. Vodka.

"That's because you were too busy talking to the one who got away." He smirked. "You didn't answer my question by the way."

I decided not to give him the real reason why I ended things with Kiba. It was already weird enough that we were actually _talking _to each other.

"He d-didn't know how to kiss."

Sasuke threw his head back and laughed. The sound was surprisingly genuine, not the taunting one that I got used to.

"You sure are hard to please."

I shrugged. "I guess."

I let my eyes drift towards the pool table. Naruto was concentrating on shooting the 9th ball into a side pocket.

"You know how to play, right?" Sasuke asked.

"_W-W-What_?" I faced him in shock. Did he just ask me if I wanted to play with him at _kissing_?

"Pool." He shot me a puzzled glance.

"Oh." Of course he was talking about pool. "Yeah, a l-little." I finished, still flustered. I trained my eyes back to the game.

"Then let's go play."

"No, it l-looks like they're going to last all night."

I looked at the pool table longingly. The truth was playing pool came third in my list of _bad-for-you _addictions_, _the first two being Naruto and cigarettes.

Sasuke chuckled and pulled me to the group surrounding the table. I did a quick wave to my friends who were either gaping at me or whispering to each other. I rolled my eyes.

"Mind if we join you?" Sasuke drawled when we reached the pool table.

They all turned and what followed was a lot of cries, high fives and back thumping. I moved to the side discreetly so the testosterone circle wouldn't crush me. Naruto, who still hadn't shot the 9th ball, was staring at me. I ignored him. I nodded at Sakura who waved at me. She looked at Sasuke and me, her eyes twinkling. I shook my head.

"Hey idiot, are you going to shoot the ball or do I have to do it for you?" Naruto raised a finger at Sasuke and finally made his shot.

"Okay Hyuga, we're up." He motioned for me to get a taco. I fingered the chalk against the tip and waiting for him to file the balls.

"Are you serious, man? You're going to play against Hinata?"

I turned and smiled when I saw that it was Choji. He was considered the best pool player in school... before I crushed his ego last year in one game.

"Why?"

"Oh Choji, w-why so bitter?" I grinned at him slyly.

"Sasuke, my man, you're about to play against our resident Black Widow." Choji laughed and gave me a thumbs up. "Kill him, Hinata."

Sasuke watched me with a curious look on his face. No, it was close to wicked. I squinted. It was hard to see his face clearly with the fluorescent light hanging between us.

"Well then, I think we have to put money where your mouth is, Choji," he said smoothly.

"I'm not i-interested in your money. Pulverizing your ego would be enough," I said serenely.

Several whoops and shouts erupted from the crowd behind us. People were beginning to flee from the living room to watch the game.

"If that isn't a challenge, I don't know what is." Sasuke's mouth quirked. "But let's make the game more interesting. If you win, you get to, as you put it, 'pulverize my ego'."

"And if you win?"

He flashed a brilliant smile. "I get a kiss."

I stared at him, wide-eyed. The noise in the room rose several decibel levels.

"Are y-you out of your mind?" I sputtered.

"No. You wouldn't be afraid of losing, would you?" He smirked at me. I almost threw the taco at him.

"I'm not going to p-play with a bet like th-that." I said angrily.

"Don't worry, Hyuga. You know my kisses aren't disappointing."

I felt my face go red at the implication of his words. Naruto gave me an odd look.

"You're on." I finally bit out.

The crowd burst into cheers. I heard them call out to the remaining people in the living room to watch our game.

"9-ball or 8-ball?" Choji asked as he filed the balls.

"9-ball. I w-want this over and done with fast." I said, still eyeing Sasuke murderously. He just stared back at me.

The intensity of the game had adrenaline pumping in my veins. I pocketed the first three shots and watched in frustration as he sank the next four balls. Sasuke was a skilled opponent and proved to be difficult to beat easily. I heard a groan from the crowd when I shot the 8th ball. They clearly wanted Sasuke to win to see a show. The 9th ball sat in the middle of the table, asking to be sunk into the right corner pocket. It was a hard shot but long shots were my specialty. I smiled.

Nobody was going to see a show tonight.

I laid my palms on the table.

"Prepare to be pulverized, Uchiha."

"Don't count your chickens yet, Hyuga," Sasuke said evenly. "Remember, I saw how many shots of Grey Goose you took." I widened my eyes then. He was right, I was feeling kind of hazy but I didn't notice it before. I frowned at him and almost boiled over at the calmness of his stance. He didn't look worried at all.

All eyes followed the 9th ball as it slowly rolled in the green carpet after I hit it. I felt pearls of sweat beading my forehead but I was grinning from ear to ear because I could see that the ball was going to make it to the hole.

My smile dissolved a moment later when I saw the path the ball took.

NOOOO!

I miscalculated by mere millimeters. Shit, I knew I had to do it. I wasn't thinking straight. I watched in horror as the 9th ball hit both sides of the small hole to finally rest against the corner, just shy of dropping into the pocket.

The crowd went wild.

My head whipped toward Sasuke. He was looking at me with a triumphant smile. I wanted to strangle the life out of.

He stepped towards the side of the table and easily shot the ball into the pocket. He eased up and raised his eyebrows in amusement as I seethed in anger.

"I think I have a prize to claim," he said. He was obviously enjoying the predicament.

I looked at him, mentally scraping off his skin inch by inch. He was going to pay for embarrassing me like this. I saw the clock behind his head strike twelve. How strangely ironic that the time coincided with my doom.

He strode towards me and leaned down to whisper in my ear, "Aren't you going to congratulate me?"

Before I could reply, he lifted my chin and brushed his lips against mine. I pursed my lips in silent rebellion but his mouth was insistent. I put my hands against his chest to push him away and my mouth fell open in protest. He seemed to take it as an invitation. In an instant, the kiss deepened. I fought to regain control but I felt the same hunger that I felt the last time. His teeth bit my lower lip softly and his tongue tangled with mine. I felt his hands pull my hips against his and my arms circled his neck of their own volition.

He was the first one to pull away. I resurfaced from the haze I was in to a screaming crowd. We both stared at each other as we tried to regain our breaths. The expression on his face was unreadable. I spied the clock again at the corner of my eye and was startled to find that two minutes already went by. We made out for two minutes and yet it felt shorter than that. My face burned when I realized that if Sasuke didn't stop, the kiss wouldn't have ended.

I turned my back on Sasuke and found Naruto watching us intently. Sakura was shrieking her head off beside him.

"C-Congratulations." I mumbled and left to get away from the applause and hollering. The crowd parted as I stalked toward the door.

"That was quite a show you put on." I turned and saw Ivy with a broad smile on her face.

"Hope you e-enjoyed it." I snapped. Her laughter was still ringing in my ears as I ran to my car. My hand shook when I jammed the key into the lock to open the door. When I got inside, there was only one thing I could do.

I screamed.

* * *

**Author's Note:**

Chapter title - "Mr. Brightside" by The Killers.

Thank you so much for all the positive reviews! I'm going to keep updating this fast now. Hope you enjoy all the following chapters too. (:


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